SERVICES
Home Visiting Service
We offer a home visiting and befriending service to any of our members who wish to receive it.
Over 4000 home visits have been made in
the past year by our team of Welfare Officers who are fully trained
staff members offering advice and support in addition to befriending.
Confidentiality is, of course, guaranteed.
Pictured:
Elizabeth Hayward (Welfare Officer), Denise Dunning (Welfare Officer), Jane Masters (Welfare Officer), Lucy McCance (Senior Welfare Officer) and Kath Leach (Welfare Officer).
Where possible, we also provide a hospital visiting service to those of our members who have been admitted to Eastbourne District General Hospital for any period of time.
Resource Centre
The Society maintains a resource centre where members can purchase, from stock, aids to help them with everyday living.
Although we do not stock a full range of aids, items can be ordered in as required.
Talking Books 
Eastbourne Blind Society has a library of over 2,000 Talking Books mainly on cassettes but with an increasing number on CD which are available to be loaned out to our members. This service is enjoyed on a regular basis by 105 members. A large number of the titles have been generously donated to us for this purpose and we are always grateful when offered more additions to our library.
Shopping Bus
Each week, a number of our members are picked up from home in one of our minibuses, taken to a local supermarket to do their shopping and taken back home again. This service has proved to be invaluable in helping our members in a practical way to maintain their independence.
Additionally, friendships are forged and experiences are shared, making the shopping trips entertaining as well as practical.
Outings and Holidays
Eastbourne Blind Society arranges a number of day trips each year. On past occasions, we have visited France and have recently made trips to Rochester, Portsmouth, Hever Castle and various other places of interest around the country.
An annual holiday is arranged for interested members and is accompanied by staff of the Society.
Recent holidays have been in Babbacombe, Weston-Super-Mare, Teignmouth and Weymouth.
Information about Action for the Blind
hotels and holidays suitable for the visually impaired is available from
the office on 01323 729511
Benefits Advice
Principally through our Benefits Officer but also through our Welfare Officers, we are able to assist our members with information on the range of benefits available to them. Practical help in completing the relevant forms is provided.
Specialist Advice
We are able to offer our expertise to individuals, organisations or companies who have dealings, directly or indirectly, with visually impaired people. Relatives, care providers or employers are all welcome to contact us for specialist advice.
Low Vision Support Service
A new service funded by East Sussex County Council and managed by Eastbourne Blind Society has started on January 4th 2010. All patients, with lowering visual standards, attending the Eye Clinic at Eastbourne District General Hospital for the first time are contacted by the Low Vision Support Worker to assess their needs and to provide advice and support as appropriate, including the opportunity to join local societies.
The patients will be visited, wherever they live in the county, and will receive the necessary advice, information and practical help to enable them to make informed decisions about their lives.
The recognition, by the County Council, of the need to provide this level of support to those with low vision is hugely significant and marks a real progress in the ongoing campaign to improve the lives of visually impaired people.
Similar services are also provided from Sussex Eye Hospital, Brighton and the Conquest Hospital, Hastings.
Virginie
Mullally is Eastbourne Blind Society's Low Vision Support Worker.
